


My Heart Is For You

by clairvoyantPeach



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Byun Baekhyun-centric, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Park Chanyeol, Pining Byun Baekhyun, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29474463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clairvoyantPeach/pseuds/clairvoyantPeach
Summary: Baekhyun is the Senior Editor for the fashion magazine, "For You," at the end of every month his team goes out to dinner to celebrate another issue published. Our story begins the night they go to the restaurant at the world-renowned hotel, La Vigilia.After wandering away from his coworkers - with a few cocktails in him - Baekhyun runs into Chanyeol, an employee at the hotel and an old college classmate of Baekhyun's. Chanyeol's just as gorgeous as Baekhyun remembers. The issue is, Baekhyun might recognize Chanyeol, but Chanyeol doesn't seem to have any idea who Baekhyun is.Hijinks ensue over the course of these monthly dinners at La Vigilia.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 9





	1. April

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone is their real age (not the Korean age lol) as if this is taking place in 2020-2021 besides Taemin (and by extent Jonghyun) who’s 48 (11 years older than his real age) and Junmyeon who’s 32.
> 
> I made Taemin like this weird Iroh/Devil Wears Prada character and I have no explanation as to why.

Baekhyun loves the sounds of his office. Keyboards clacking, paper printing, doors slamming open and closed. The smell of coffee and ink in the air comforts him more than anything, even being in the arms of a loved one (not that he’s had much experience there outside of family). It’s a little ridiculous, he knows. Work is supposed to be taxing, hard, a way to survive in the modern world, but it’s more than that to Baekhyun. This office is his dream.

Since he was fourteen, he’d wanted to work at _For You_. It’s one of Seoul’s, no, the world’s biggest fashion magazines. He watched fashion show after fashion show, made friends with the most stylish kids at his schools, and bought every issue. He double-majored in journalism and design to struggle through a year as an unpaid intern, and then work his way slowly to the top. Now, at twenty-eight, he’s finally settled into his role as the Senior Editor. He’s content, happy, and he loves his job.

“-hyun, Baekhyun.” Jongdae slams his hands onto Baekhyun’s desk startling him out of his reverence. His best friend stands above him, sneering.

“Jesus, Jongdae,” Baekhyun says. His blue-light glasses slip down his nose, and he pulls them the rest of the way off to rub at his eyes. “What now?”

“Don’t ‘what now’ me, Baek,” Jongdae says as he leans back and crosses his arms. “You’ve been ignoring me for the past five minutes.”

Baekhyun opens his eyes to look directly at Jongdae’s ugly cat sweater, and he can’t help but cringe.

“Maybe I was doing it so I didn’t have to look you,” he says with a wave of his hand at the offending clothing. “I still can’t believe you work at a fashion magazine and dress like that.”

“Oh, bite me,” Jongdae huffs. “I came in here for a reason, not to be lectured about my outfit. I like this sweater.”

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but motions for his friend to continue. Jongdae clicks his tongue and sits on the desk. They’re both silent for a moment, and Baekhyun starts to worry. He thinks Jongdae might have bad news about their recent spread. The photoshoot is something new to them, a more risqué style, but he thinks it’s a great idea. Jongdae seems tense, and Baekhyun really hopes that they won’t have to push the publication date back. That will piss off tons of readers and lower their subscription count for _months_.

“You remember we have that dinner tonight, right?” Jongdae asks, biting his lip.

“Of course.” Baekhyun raises an eyebrow. That’s not at all what he expected this to be about. They’ve had this dinner planned for a few weeks and everything seemed to be going perfectly. “Yixing won’t let me forget.”

“Yeah, well, I need-” Jongdae inhales sharply and lifts his face to the ceiling. Baekhyun can tell he doesn’t want to say what he’s about to. “I need your help picking out clothes.”

“You’re joking,” Baekhyun says with a flat voice. Jongdae never asks for fashion advice, _especially_ from his best friend. Baekhyun is a good friend, but he not the most sensitive guy. He likes to poke fun, and Jongdae is his favorite target.

“That guy I’ve, uh, been telling you about?”

Baekhyun furrows his brows as Jongdae’s face flushes pink. He can feel the corners of his mouth twitching, and holding back is almost painful.

“…the one you met at that dim sum place?” Baekhyun asks tightly. He sucks his bottom lip between his teeth.

Jongdae doesn’t respond but nods his head as his blush reaches the tips of his ears. Baekhyun can’t hold it in anymore and bursts into laughter. His sides ache as he falls back in his chair, gasping for breath. Jongdae kicks him in the knee, but he doesn’t care. This is the most he’s laughed all week.

“Let me guess,” Baekhyun says wiping his face. “Dim Sum Cutie is gonna be at the hotel tonight?”

Jongdae grumbles out something about the dude working there. He’s pouting with his arms crossed, and Baekhyun wants to coo at how cute he looks.

“Haven’t you guys already gone on a couple of dates?”

“Yeah, but this place is super high end and we’ve only ever gone out to cheap places. I want to impress him,” Jongdae whines.

“You’re adorable,” Baekhyun says. Jongdae kicks him again and this time he cares. “Oi, stop kicking me!”

“Stop making fun of me,” Jongdae whines louder. A light knock comes from the doorway and both men startle.

“What’s going on in here?” Jongin stands at the door balancing a stack of paperwork and a couple of coffees. Jongdae hops off the desk to grab both coffees from him, and hands one to Baekhyun.

“Jongdae was asking me for fashion advice,” Baekhyun says with a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He takes a sip of his coffee as Jongdae glares at him.

“Why?” Jongin asks as he hands the top of the stack to Baekhyun. “I need your signatures on these.”

“His boyfriend works at the place we’re going to dinner tonight,” Baekhyun says his grin growing bigger as he skims the paperwork and scribbles his signature. Jongdae cuffs him on the ear.

“You’re a dick,” his best friend speaks at the same time as Jongin asks, “Dinner?”

They both turn to look at the youngest on their team. He’s clutching the rest of the papers close to his chest and his eyes are wide. He’s been working with them for two years at this point, but sometimes he acts as if he barely knows them. It blows Baekhyun’s mind that someone so sexy can be so shy.

“Uh, yeah,” Jongdae says. “The team’s going out to celebrate our revenue from the last issue. You’re invited, dork.”

“We sold twice as many as _Vogue,_ ” Baekhyun adds.

“Oh, right. I totally forgot,” he says looking over his shoulder towards the rest of the office. From Baekhyun’s private office he could see the entire floor space, the interns running around with coffee and copies, Kyungsoo’s standing desk, and Jongdae’s ugly red one filled with knickknacks and empty paper cups. Across the way is Yixing’s glass-walled office, and down the hall is their Editor in Chief, Lee Taemin. “The whole team’s going to be there?”

“Yep, and don’t worry we’ll make sure you can sit right next to our dear Kyungsoo.” Jongdae has a shit-eating grin on his face, and it’s Jongin’s turn to blush.

“We have way too much office romance,” Baekhyun says lightly and stands up to shove Jongin out of the office, pushing the signed papers into his sweater. “Take these to Yixing for me, okay?”

He turns around to face Jongdae again with his hands on his hips, “Now, let’s discuss outfits.”

“Holy shit,” Baekhyun says as the car pulls up in front of the hotel. He’s squished in the very back seat between Jongdae and Jongin. He’s been complaining the whole ride that his suit is going to get wrinkled while Jongdae whines about having to sit next to Baekhyun. But neither of them tried very hard to claim the two middle row seats. A sharp glare from Kyungsoo shut them up as soon as they opened the car door. 

Yixing smiles brightly over his shoulder at Baekhyun. “I told you. Welcome to La Vigilia Hotel.”

The hotel is _gorgeous_. It stands twenty stories high, a glimmering black tower that reflects the lights of the city. Surrounding the hotel is a small, but lush garden. Something that’s rare to see this deep in the heart of Seoul. Baekhyun stretches across Jongin’s lap to get a better look at the dozens of rose bushes outside the front entrance.

“Wow, wow! You’ve outdone yourself this time, Yixing,” their Editor in Chief says from the passenger seat. Yixing beams at the compliment, his dimples catching shadows in the dim light. He’s too cute and Baekhyun can’t resist leaning forward to pinch his cheek.

The driver pulls up to the front doors and they all pile out of the car. Taemin exits last to pay the driver and tells him to be back in a few hours. Their Chief looks extra crazy today in a bright yellow suit, a white turtle neck underneath, and blue dress shoes. Only he’d be able to pull it off, and there'd be no doubt the outfit will be featured in tomorrow’s tabloids. No one on the _For You_ team gets media attention but the Editor in Chief – his reputation proceeds him. Baekhyun pulls Yixing’s arm around his shoulder as they enter the lobby, and they’re all baffled again by the décor.

While the outside of the hotel is chic and modern, inside the high ceiling, hardwood floors, stone cobbled walls with a big burning fireplace in the center of the lobby resembles an old Western castle. Near the fireplace and surrounded by plush looking chairs and couches is a gorgeous grand piano. Towards the back of the lobby, the front desk sits in between two curved staircases.

“C’mon,” Yixing says pulling Baekhyun forward. “The restaurant is on the second floor.”

Baekhyun stares at everything. He drags his hands up the delicately crafted rails of the staircase, and he gestures to it looking at Jongdae with wide eyes. His best friend lets out a brief huff of laughter, but it isn’t the reaction Baekhyun is used to. Usually, Jongdae would roll his eyes and make endearingly tart comments on Baekhyun’s love for beautiful railing (innuendo intended). Now, Jongdae’s frantic – darting his eyes around the hotel and playing with his sleeve cuffs. Baekhyun hadn’t been surprised when Jongdae admitted he doesn’t own a single suit, only a handful of button-downs and slacks. Luckily, Jongdae is only a few centimeters shorter and fits into one of Baekhyun’s. It’s black with pinstripes barely a shade lighter and compliments Jongdae’s slim figure wonderfully. Baekhyun cuffed the ankles just a bit, despite the near-perfect fit, to show off the colorful long socks he let Jongdae pick out. It gives the outfit the right bit of Jongdae without being too _Jongdae_.

As they reach the top of the stairs Baekhyun wanders to the back of the group and matches his best friend’s slow pace.

“You okay?” Baekhyun asks his voice soft. Jongdae looks up at him before flicking his eyes over his shoulder and around the building again.

“I’m nervous, Baek,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “And it’s stupid. We’ve been dating for a couple of weeks, and I shouldn’t be this _worried_ about him seeing me with work friends. In a suit.”

“It is a little stupid,” Baekhyun says and he puts his hands up in surrender when Jongdae snaps his head up. “Relationships are all a little stupid. It’s normal that you’d be freaked.”

“Yeah, especially since he might be meeting _you_ ,” Jongdae says. He’s frowning at Baekhyun, but his shoulders aren’t as tense as they were a few minutes ago.

“I’m going to ignore that because I know you get snappy when you’re nervous,” Baekhyun says as he grabs Jongdae’s wrists and straightens his cuffs. “Now, you’re going to have a fun night with your best friends, and if you see Dim Sum Cutie, you’re going to introduce him to us.”

“But-”

“Nope,” Baekhyun interrupts him. “You have no choice. Especially because I’m so willingly spending the night at Kyungsoo’s place,” he adds with a wink.

Jongdae turns bright red and splutters. Before he can manage a full sentence, however, Kyungsoo is standing in front of them with his hands on his hips.

“Let’s go,” he says and spins around to walk back to the group waiting for them in front of the restaurant. Baekhyun wants so badly to argue, but knowing better, snaps his mouth shut, and follows.

“This place keeps getting more gorgeous,” Baekhyun whispers harshly to his friends. “Can I please live here?”

“The rooms are $200 a night, so I don’t think you want to,” Yixing says patting the hand Baekhyun's resting on his thigh.

“Oh, that makes my heart and my wallet hurt,” Jongin says from across the table. Kyungsoo nods stiffly in agreement. They were seated a few minutes ago, and the waitress brought them water and hot towels. Baekhyun almost cried when he picked up his hot towel and instantly pressed it against his cheeks.

“Yixing, how often do you come here?” Kyungsoo asks. “I didn’t think your salary was that large.”

Yixing blinks owlishly at him before breaking into a fit of giggles. His red velvet suit crinkles magnificently as his shoulders shake. Yixing always rocks the open collar, no tie look.

“That’s a great question Kyungsoo,” Taemin says as he folds his hands on the table and leans forward. Jongdae and Baekhyun copy his position. If there’s one thing they all have in common, it’s their love for gossip.

“I don’t stay here,” Yixing finally says after he wipes the laughter from his eyes.

“Then, how d’you know the restaurant?” Jongin’s the one to ask this time. Baekhyun thinks he looked extra sexy tonight with his long-sleeved button-up, black vest, and matching tie.

“I’m very good friends with the owner’s daughter, Yoora.”

Baekhyun can’t help the way his eyebrows rise. “Like, the restaurant’s owner?” he asks.

Yixing shakes his head, a strand of his bangs falls free from the gel to lie against his forehead. “Nope, the hotel.”

The entire team’s jaws drop – well, Kyungsoo’s eyes widen, but that’s pretty much the same thing for him – and Baekhyun screams a little.

“Oh my god,” Jongdae says, resting his head against his palms. “You know a literal heiress.”

“We went to high school and college together,” Yixing explains.

He laughs at them all before the waitress comes back to ask for their orders. Everything on the menu looks so delicious and so expensive that Baekhyun’s never felt more guilty eating. It doesn’t stop him from ordering the pomegranate braised lamb shank – whatever braised means. He also orders a cocktail, but he feels less embarrassed when Jongdae and Taemin both ask for one too.

The evening is spent in a blur of drinks, the most delicious food Baekhyun has ever eaten, and laughter. The restaurant, while high end, is lively and fun. Yixing tells stories from the last time he visited his family in China that has Taemin snorting into his wine glass. After a few cocktails, Baekhyun’s skin is warm and he’s pleasantly buzzed.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” he says as he pushes his chair back. Everyone at the table gives him little waves and goes back to the conversation.

He could go to the bathroom inside the restaurant, but in Baekhyun’s buzzed brain it makes a lot more sense to use the one in the hallway. It’ll be an excuse to explore. After coming out of the washroom – it has little mints and more _hot towels_ – Baekhyun wanders the second floor. He runs his hands over the rails of the balcony overlooking the lobby and drags his fingers along the dark stone pillars that appear to hold up the ceiling. There’s something oddly peaceful about the entire building. It might be the happiness and alcohol in his blood, but it feels like he belongs here. He rests his head against the cool stone and lets his mind drift as he watches the people below.

Baekhyun doesn’t know how long he’s been leaning against the pillar, but it must’ve been only a few minutes before he hears someone clear their throat.

“Uh, ‘scuse me. I need to change the lightbulb,” a deep voice says in a rumble behind him.

“Hmm? Yeah, sure. Sorry,” Baekhyun says and turns to leave. The words _Sexual Fantasies_ are right in front of him, in bright red, and as he drags his eyes up to the face of the man, he realizes the words on the sweatshirt are a prophecy.

Looking down at him with a goofy half-smile and a mess of curly black hair is Chanyeol. His ears are still big, his limbs are still too long, and he’s still gorgeous. Suddenly, Baekhyun feels incredibly self-conscious in his blue, satin suit. He tugs at the hem of his jacket and wants nothing more than to turn tail and run. Yet, he can’t seem to move. After all, it isn’t every day he sees the only man he’s ever been achingly in love with. Especially since that man definitely doesn’t know he felt that way. 

“Dude, you okay?” Chanyeol asks bending down slightly to try and catch Baekhyun’s eye.

Baekhyun stiffens, and he feels his ears turning red as he lifts his face. Chanyeol’s expression is confused. There isn’t a single spark of familiarity in his eyes. He has an arm around a ladder, the other holding a box of lightbulbs. Earbuds hang around his neck blaring – is that classical music?

“You, uh-” Baekhyun swallows and pulls at his tie. It’s stuffy being so close to such a tall man with such broad shoulders. “Sorry, you look familiar?” He winces at the way his voice cracks at the end, but Chanyeol doesn’t seem to notice.

“Do I?” Chanyeol asks. He scratches his cheek as he leans in closer to Baekhyun’s face. Baekhyun can smell his cologne and sweat, and it’s the same scent he had years ago. Chanyeol hums in thought and Baekhyun’s face is so hot he thinks it might melt off.

“Nope,” Chanyeol says, popping the ‘p’. He leans back and sets up his ladder. “Don’t recognize you. Maybe I just have one of those faces?”

Dread settles in Baekhyun’s chest, and the next breath he takes hurts. He shuffles backward away from Chanyeol and shrugs his shoulders.

“Guess so, sorry.”

Baekhyun drags his feet all the way to back the restaurant. It’s barely fifty feet, but it feels like miles with Chanyeol’s stare burning into his back.

“Oi, look who’s back. Where’d you go?” Jongdae calls to him as soon as he rounds the corner. The table seems fuller than the last time he was here, and he raises an eyebrow at the extra chair pulled up next to his best friend. In it is a man with the sweetest looking face wearing a maroon suit jacket and matching turtle neck. His hair is pitch black with a little bit of grown-out brown dye at the tips: Dim Sum Cutie. Baekhyun’s eyes are drawn to the man’s earpiece, it’s the type with a curly white wire that he’s only seen on bodyguards in mafia movies.

Baekhyun sits down and apologizes to the table. He stretches across the table and pulls his half-finished martini towards him.

“I got distracted by the décor,” he says with a heavy sigh. “Sometimes I wish I was born for interior design. Maybe I’ll switch to that when I get sick of you all.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes but gestures to the man sitting next to him. “Baek, meet Minseok. He’s only been here a few minutes so you haven’t missed out on much time teasing me.”

Baekhyun plasters on his most dazzling smile and tilts his head toward Minseok. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Jongdae’s been fawning over you for weeks.”

“Glad I’m not the only one,” Minseok says. He smiles at Jongdae, whose cheeks are red, with such fondness Baekhyun almost pukes. Almost.

After a grimace at the bill from their Editor in Chief and two more drinks for Baekhyun, they decide it’s time to head home. They all move downstairs to the hotel lounge to wait for their driver to arrive.

Minseok is a really nice guy, only a couple of years older than Baekhyun. He hasn’t been paying much attention, but he catches enough of the conversation to know Minseok is the Head of Security at the hotel.

“No way you’re a security guard,” Kyungsoo says, shaking his head. “You look like a red panda.”

But Baekhyun’s thoughts keep wandering back to the man he left in the hallway, the man he swore he was over, the man who _still_ makes his heart twist. He feels twenty-one again. His eyes wander up to the balcony ledge above, but Chanyeol’s not there anymore.

“Is that a challenge?” Minseok says. He tilts his head in a way that makes Baekhyun’s fingers itch to pinch his cheeks. He loves pinching squishy cheeks. Oof, that might’ve been one too many martinis.

Jongin, in an act of courage, kneels in front of a coffee table and puts his elbow on it. “I challenge you.”

Minseok smirks and rolls his sleeves to his elbows. “You’re on.”

A few sore arms later Minseok and Jongdae wave them off at the entrance. The latter with his face hidden behind a hand. The group all wolf-whistled at them when Jongdae admitted Minseok would be taking him home. Even Kyungsoo had a shit-eating grin on his face and slapped Jongdae on the shoulder.

Baekhyun, however, has been quiet since leaving the restaurant. He waved off any attempt the others made to drag him into conversation. No one really noticed as they were too distracted with teasing Minseok and Jongdae. Yet, now in the dim light of the car, he can feel eyes on him. He turns his face to the window and watches the city blur. Luckily, no one bothers him the entire ride. They all seem pretty exhausted. The only noise is from Jongin and Kyungsoo whispering softly to each other in the backseat.

One by one the car empties, and when it pulls up to Kyungsoo’s apartment building it’s only he and Baekhyun left. They both crawl out of the car, and the driver leaves, having already been paid. The walk to Kyungsoo’s front door is quiet. Baekhyun’s sweating despite the chill from the air conditioner. Kyungsoo is never this quiet when it’s just the two of them unless there’s something on his mind, and Baekhyun has a sickening feeling it’s him.

As soon as the door pushes open Baekhyun makes a beeline for the bathroom, hoping to get in the shower and avoid whatever talk Kyungsoo’s planning. He almost makes it too before he _stupidly_ glances over his shoulder and sees his friend standing with his arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

“Dammit,” Baekhyun mutters. He drags himself across the apartment to fall onto the couch. His suit is going to be so wrinkled in the morning, but he can’t bring himself to care at the moment. Kyungsoo’s head pops over the back of the couch to look down at Baekhyun.

“What’s up with you?”

Baekhyun scoffs, covering his eyes with his arms. The only light on in the apartment is the dull, yellow kitchen light Kyungsoo flicked on when they walked in. This means Baekhyun doesn’t have any excuse to hide his face other than Kyungsoo’s big, intrusive, stupidly concerned eyes. Baekhyun knows it won’t take long for him to crack. He’s never been good at keeping secrets, especially from the kid he’s known since diapers.

“I talked to Chanyeol,” Baekhyun whispers.

They both fall into silence after that. Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything, and Baekhyun can’t bring himself to uncover his eyes. After a solid minute he starts to worry. Baekhyun’s voice is muffled by his sleeves, but he knows Kyungsoo heard him. When he pulls his arms down Kyungsoo looks like he’d eaten something bitter.

“Who?”

Baekhyun sits up so quickly their foreheads slam together. Kyungsoo crumples to the floor with a groan. Baekhyun pulls himself up to look behind the couch at his friend. Pain bursts and swirls the room in colors. It takes a moment for his vision to clear. As soon as it does, he screeches unintelligible disbelief with his mouth and eyes wide.

“Why are you yelling at me?” Kyungsoo yells up at Baekhyun. There are tears in his eyes and a red mark between his eyebrows.

“Chanyeol? The one from my Art History class?"

He’s leaning dangerously far off the couch. It makes his arm muscles shake and he thinks distantly about going to the gym more. Baekhyun can see the realization hit Kyungsoo, and his friend leans back on his hands.

“As in college?”

“Yes.”

“You’re joking. The dude you claimed was your soulmate?” Kyungsoo asks incredulously.

Baekhyun nods fiercely. “The tall guy with the big ears?” Another nod. “The one who’s straight?” Nod.

Kyungsoo squints at Baekhyun’s face. His fingers are turning white from his grip on the couch and he probably looks so vulnerable right now.

“The one who you talked to like three times?” Kyungsoo asks.

Baekhyun releases the dumb, soft fabric and drops his face into his hands. “Yes.”

“So?” Kyungsoo asks. He stands and sheds his grey suit jacket. “What’s the big deal then? You barely knew him then, and you don’t know him now.”

Baekhyun doesn’t answer, at first. He watches Kyungsoo move into the kitchen, which isn’t far considering how tiny the studio is, to turn on the kettle. He pulls out two mugs, motioning for Baekhyun to choose his tea.

A scowl pulls at Baekhyun’s lips as he joins Kyungsoo in the kitchen. “I don’t know,” he admits. But the feelings that rushed over him were scary and _real_.

“You don’t?” Kyungsoo asks. He leans back against the counter. Baekhyun inwardly curses his childhood friend’s ability to draw his deepest, darkest secrets out of him. “C’mon, Baek it was seven years ago.”

“I know.” Baekhyun wraps his fingers around his empty mug. Kyungsoo pulls the kettle off once it screams.

“I thought you didn’t know?” he says. Baekhyun punches him in the arm. He pulls off his tie as their tea steeps and wraps his arms around his friend’s waist. It took years for Kyungsoo to let him hug him like this, and still, he usually doesn’t unless he’s tired or knows Baekhyun needs it.

“I know that I thought I was over him,” Baekhyun mumbles into Kyungsoo’s shoulder. He can feel Kyungsoo hum under his cheek. “But he didn’t even recognize me earlier, and he’s still _so hot._ Remember what I said I felt when I first met him?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo says, he sounds like he’s rolling his eyes. “You said you felt an ‘invisible pull’ towards him and swore that if given the chance you’d fall in love with each other. That he was your destiny and some other mumbo jumbo about the universe and fate.”

“What if I told you I still felt that way?”

“Please,” Kyungsoo says. He’s definitely rolling his eyes now.

“I’m _serious_ , Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says. “I looked in his eyes and my heart started pounding, my palms got all sweaty, and I wanted nothing more than to latch onto him and never let go. Maybe this is my second chance.”

“You’re over him, Baek. Enough with this destiny crap. You’re probably just in shock from seeing him. Now go shower, your hair smells.” Kyungsoo ruffles Baekhyun’s hair and untangles himself from Baekhyun’s grip. Baekhyun grumbles and takes his mug of tea to the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he goes.

In the shower, way too hot water, Baekhyun’s muscles finally relax. Kyungsoo makes a lot of sense. He’s just shocked from seeing Chanyeol for the first time in forever, he’ll get over it. Go back to work, and forget. Soulmate, shmoulmate.

Right?

Wrong

Baekhyun isn’t getting over it. He spent the weekend at Kyungsoo’s because he didn’t want to walk in on Jongdae and Minseok in some weird position. Literally. He walks into work on Monday at seven in the morning – his own choice because the office is never quiet except for super early in the morning – and Chanyeol’s still buzzing in his brain.

His mug is almost empty. The spreadsheet on his computer stares at him, but he’s not touching the keyboard. He has to hand this into Yixing by noon – it’s the content layout for the next issue and _very_ important. He drops his forehead onto his desk with a thump and groans.

“I knew I should’ve come in over the weekend,” he says to the succulent by his keyboard. Its name is Jangmi.

He knows he should’ve, but there’s no way he could’ve. He’s a notorious workaholic, and he has been kicked from the building over the weekends so many times he’s now banned. Kyungsoo warned all the security guards and weekend staff not to let him in, and there are few people in this world willing to disobey _For You_ ’s small but intimidating Production Editor.

He shakes himself off, and stands to grab another cup of coffee. This is no time for being weird. Kyungsoo may not be right about soulmates (whether Chanyeol’s is his, is still up for debate), but he has to be right about these _feelings_ fading eventually. Baekhyun just needs to give them a push – or a shove – out of his brain. And that means work.

When Baekhyun works, he works. He’s no slacker and once his cup is nice and hot, he heads back to his office to do just that. 


	2. May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This is the chapter where the implied/referenced suicide tag comes to fruition. Taemin talks about his husband, Jonghyun, who has passed away. There are no details, just a single sentence about it surrounded by the cute details of their love story.

Weeks pass and Baekhyun throws himself into his work. _For You_ has been really experimental this year with what designers, models, and themes they’re choosing. Baekhyun’s especially excited for a new set of pages he’s dedicating to indie, self-made designers. It’s one of the columns he’s come up with alone and throws himself into it completely.

Another successful publishing passes, and yet another dinner is planned to celebrate. Eating at La Vigilia last month was a special occasion for their record-blowing revenue, but monthly team dinners paid for by the company are normal. They tend to eat at whatever restaurant Taemin’s craving, but Baekhyun’s hoping for that Thai place tonight.

“Where are we going this time, Yixing-hyung?” Baekhyun asks over their lunch break. Please be Thai, he begs the universe, I need spicy vermicelli and tofu.

He stabs at his pathetic salad – he hates them, but Yixing bought it for him so he can’t refuse – and struggles to get a cherry tomato. Yixing looks at Baekhyun over his clear-framed reading glasses, his tablet in front of him, and smiles sweetly.

“Well, Chief liked it so much last time-” Oh no. “-that we’re going back to La Vigilia.”

“Isn’t that too expensive?” Baekhyun asks, trying not to sound too hopeful.

“Well, our subscription count is really high this year, and the Chief’s decided we have room in the budget to treat ourselves,” Yixing says.

“Wonderful,” Baekhyun says tightly. He shoves a mouthful of lettuce in his mouth. Yixing tilts his head curiously at him, a smile still on his face.

“Are you okay, Baekhyun?” he asks.

“Peachy,” Baekhyun says.

“I’m going to jump off the roof,” Baekhyun says into Jongdae’s lap. After lunch, he crawled to his best friend, under his desk, and pillowed his face on Jongdae’s thigh in woe.

“No, you’re not. Because then I’d have to jump too, and I’m so not down to keep up our suicide pact right now,” Jongdae says. He pats Baekhyun’s cheek apathetically.

“When did we make a suicide pact?” Baekhyun asks.

“Three years ago,” Jongdae says. “After you found a typo in the May issue that was totally your fault and were being dramatic. Like now.” He smiles down at his best friend.

“From this angle, you have a triple chin,” Baekhyun says, feeling spiteful. Jongdae pinches his ear. “Ow! Hey, it’s not my fault you’re in a loving relationship – I swear you guys are gonna get married in four years – and I’m having a seven-year-old crush relapse on a guy who doesn’t even _recognize me_.”

“Your karma must be a bitch.”

Baekhyun pouts, bottom lip wobbling and showing Jongdae his threat of tears is to not be taken lightly. Jongdae sighs and twists a strand of Baekhyun’s white-blond bangs between his fingers.

“Fine, I want you to consider this a good thing, Baek,” Jongdae says. “He doesn’t remember you so now you have the chance to make a better impression. Y’know, now that you’re an adult who dresses well and brushes his hair.”

He’s referring back to when Baekhyun was too stressed with his double major to brush his hair for a month. It ended up so matted that Jongdae had to help him shave it. Baekhyun cried and wore beanies and bucket hats till it grew back. Luckily, he’d met Chanyeol _after_ that.

“Shut up,” Baekhyun mutters. “I don’t want to make a better impression. I want that butt-head to not exist.”

“Okay, then don’t wander around the hotel and you won’t see him. Problem solved,” Jongdae says with a shrug. “Besides if he doesn’t know you from your brief conversations in college, he probably won’t remember you from your equally brief conversation that happened while you were tipsy and sexually caressing the banisters.”

“I thought you didn’t know where I was,” Baekhyun hisses. He sits up so quickly that he slams the back of his head on the underside of Jongdae’s desk and melts to the floor in pain. Jongdae rolls his chair back to check Baekhyun’s head for a bump.

“I didn’t, dumbass. But I know you,” Jongdae says. He sounds smug, but Baekhyun’s eyes are stinging and he doesn’t want to look up. “Now go back to your office. We both have work to do.”

Jongdae hadn’t asked for fashion advice today, but Baekhyun gives it to him anyway. Now that the floodgates are open, he won’t stop till Jongdae can dress himself properly.

“Where’s that dark blue button-up you wore that one time?” Baekhyun asks from his room. He can hear Jongdae rustling in his closet across the hall.

“It has a weird stain,” Jongdae says. He walks into the room and hands it to Baekhyun. There’s an odd lime green stain on the bottom hem.

“Tuck it in and no one will see it,” Baekhyun says, handing it back.

He turns back to his own closet, riffling through his suits, dress pants, and shirts. Nothing’s calling out to him and that worries him. Baekhyun _never_ has a problem finding what to wear. But this problem goes further than clothes. He’s worried about if Chanyeol will be there, if Chanyeol will see him, if Chanyeol will judge him if his outfit isn’t cohesive. Which is stupid because last month the man, himself, was wearing a sweatshirt and distressed paint-splattered jeans that weren’t like that by design.

Jongdae comes back into his room wearing the dark blue shirt tucked into grey slacks. His socks are a disgusting color of orange with tiny marijuana leaves all over them.

“Don’t wear weed socks to a place as fancy as La Vigilia,” Baekhyun says tightly. “You’re so _nasty_.”

“Fine, I’ll change into socks without drug-paraphernalia. What’s up with you? Everyone’s gonna be here soon and usually you’re dressed before me,” Jongdae says. He looks at Baekhyun, makeup done and standing only in his boxer-briefs. There’s a tiny, itty-bitty, smidgeon of worry in his voice, and Baekhyun’s touched.

“That’s only because you put everything off till the last minute, and _I_ don’t know what to wear,” Baekhyun whines.

“Oh, damn, that’s bad,” Jongdae says. He turns Baekhyun around by the shoulders. “Are you really that worried about this Chanyeol dude?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun says. Tears gather in his eyes and he fans them rapidly. He doesn’t have time to redo his makeup. Also, vulnerability. Gross.

“Okay, okay, sit down. Take a few deep breaths and do that counting thing,” Jongdae says and guides Baekhyun to sit on the bed. “I’ll pick something.”

Baekhyun groans obnoxiously.

“With your guidance,” Jongdae adds. “What do you _not_ want to wear?”

“Something too clash-y or loud,” Baekhyun says, dabbing at his eyes. He counts his breaths.

“Black?” Jongdae asks.

“Black is good.”

Jongdae rustles in the closet and a pair of soft, satin dress pants land in Baekhyun’s lap. He pulls them on without thought, they’re cropped and tight around the calves and waist, but looser at the thighs.

“Nothing too baggy either,” Baekhyun adds. “I don’t want to look like a shapeless shmuck.”

Jongdae hums and holds up two options in front of Baekhyun. One is a plain black button-down with a red collar and trim. The other it a fitted long-sleeved mock neck sweater with a sewn-in-vest made of messy yarn that fades from orange at the top to a deep red. Baekhyun points to the second option and Jongdae hands it to him, hanging up the rejected shirt.

The soft fabrics of his shirt and pants contradict each other in the best way and Baekhyun feels more alive. Jongdae tosses him a pair of black leather loafers with no-show socks. He double-checks his makeup in the mirror – some simple brown shadow in the corners to deepen his cat-like eyes – and combs his hair back with his fingers and lets it fall into its natural middle part.

“Thank you, Jongdae,” Baekhyun says to his best friend. Jongdae crouches over the stoop in their apartment tying his – gag – converse. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight, but thanks to you, I look hot.”

Jongdae gives him a thumbs up. “Always here for you, buddy. Now let’s go. Kyungsoo texted me like five minutes ago and that’s like three minutes past his no-kill-limit.”

“Fuck, why didn’t you say something earlier?!”

Baekhyun and Jongdae grab their cellphones and keys. Barely remembering to lock the door before scrambling down to the lobby and out to the car. Kyungsoo, thankfully, doesn’t kill them and even lets them take the middle seats.

“I don’t want your smelly asses in my face as you climb to the back,” is his excuse, but Baekhyun thinks he just wants to sit with Jongin.

“La Vigilia you’re as beautiful as ever,” Taemin calls out the window as they pull up to the front doors. He’s dressed to the nines in a floral suit with deep maroons and pinks with white 70’s platform shoes. His silver hair is braided along the side of his head tonight, and Baekhyun nearly faints whenever he looks at it.

“She really is,” Yixing sighs from the back. His outfit is pretty plain tonight with his olive-green v-neck sweater and black slacks. However, he’s turned it into something breathtaking with the little tucked section at the front and all the necklaces and chokers he’s adorned.

Everyone compliments Baekhyun’s outfit as they get out of the car, and Jongdae flares a bright red when Baekhyun unashamedly tells them he picked it out. They applaud Jongdae and laugh as he bows dramatically.

The hotel makes Baekhyun feel as if he’s being transported back to his childhood bedroom. Not because they look similar, they don’t at all, but because of the emotions that fill his heart when he steps inside. It feels warm and safe in a way that makes him want to curl up on the couch with his shoes off and read a book.

“Seriously, why can’t I live here,” Baekhyun asks. Taemin slings an arm around his shoulder, bending down because of his platforms, as they walk up one of the grand staircases.

“Because, my dearest Baek,” he says. “Then I’d lose my favorite Senior Editor because if you could live here you wouldn’t be working with us, that’s for sure.”

“Honestly, even if I win the lottery and never have to work another day in my life, I don’t think I could give up _For You_. You know it’s my dream to work for you, Chief,” Baekhyun says, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“I only hope so,” Taemin says. He winks and walks up to the hostess at the front of the restaurant to claim their reservation.

Only, it’s not the hostess at the podium, but the tall, gangly, big-eared, fluffy-haired plague on Baekhyun’s life.

“You’re kidding me,” Baekhyun says under his breath. He tries to hide the desperate expression he aims at Jongdae. But Jongdae’s looking between Chanyeol and Baekhyun in the most obvious way ever, and Baekhyun pulls him away from Jongin to pinch his side.

“I won’t see him, my ass,” Baekhyun whispers in his ear. “You _jinxed_ me.”

Jongdae guides him by the lower back into the restaurant and Baekhyun tries to pretend like he’s very interested in the sconces – which he is, but not right _now._

“Hey, weren’t you here last month?” Chanyeol asks him. He was _so_ close to getting away. Shit. Jongdae pats him on the shoulder and disappears into the restaurant like a jerk.

“Uhm, yes?” Baekhyun says, trying to sound confused. Just pretend not to recognize him, Baekhyun thinks. He has to look up to meet Chanyeol’s eyes because the top of Baekhyun’s head barely meets his nose. Curse his love of height differences.

“I’m the one who was changing the lightbulb remember? You said I had a familiar face,” Chanyeol says with a cute grin. Dimples too – oh, god.

“Oh, right,” Baekhyun says. _Stupid_. “Sorry, I was a little-lot tipsy. I’m surprised you remember me.”

“I never forget a face, especially the cute ones,” Chanyeol says. Baekhyun’s face and ears burn, and he’s pretty sure his brain just stopped working. “Oh, erm, sorry I didn’t mean to sound like I was hitting on you.”

“T-that’s okay. Uhm, thank you. For thinking I’m cute, I guess,” Baekhyun squeaks. He wants to punch himself in the face. “I should get to my table. My friends…”

“Oh! Yeah, totally. Have a nice night. Hopefully, I’ll catch you when you leave,” Chanyeol says. Baekhyun hums in agreement and dashes into the restaurant.

“I want to fucking die. I want to fucking die,” he chants under his breath the whole way to his table. When he falls into his seat next to Jongdae he says it a little louder.

“Woof, that bad?” Jongdae asks. The whole table is staring at them, but Baekhyun’s brain still isn’t working and he doesn’t notice.

“He said I was cute, then said he wasn’t hitting on me, and then I thanked him for thinking my face is cute – those exact words,” Baekhyun says.

“Who?” Yixing asks. Baekhyun just groans and rolls his head back.

“The guy at the host station,” Jongdae supplies.

“That was him?” Kyungsoo asks. He and Jongin turn around in their seats to get another look at Chanyeol. They’re coincidentally wearing matching ties. “Woah, dude’s way hotter than he was in college. But I guess so are you.”

“I feel like there’s a story here,” Taemin says. “Let me guess…past lover?”

“Ding, ding, ding,” Jongdae says. “Well, kind of. In his dreams. Baekhyun, here, met the doe-eyed giant back in college and hasn’t really gotten over him. He used to swear they had a soulmate connection. Last month he saw him here and it basically re-sparked an old crush.”

“I understand completely. I’ve been there.” Taemin smiles softly and a little sadly.

“What did you do?” Baekhyun asks. Taemin’s been known for his occasional seeds of wisdom and advice.

“I married him,” Taemin says. A wedding band glints on his left hand and he fiddles with the matching one that he keeps on a chain hidden under his clothing. Baekhyun bites his tongue and the table falls silent at the memory of Taemin’s husband. He passed away three years ago, and while they can push it down, the pain of his loss will stay with all of them forever.

“I think that’s beautiful,” Baekhyun says. “Tell me the story?”

They all know the story, but Taemin brightens and tells it anyways. Taemin and his husband had been friends when they were sixteen before either of them felt comfortable with their sexuality. Taemin knew he liked boys since he was a toddler, but it’s still hard to admit that to even the most accepting of parents. He happened to develop into a big, fat, first love on his husband before he’d moved away a year later. Five years after they run into each other at a fashion show, Taemin as a fashion critique’s assistant and his husband as a model. They rekindled the crush that never really died and two years later they were married. They were spent twenty-three years together before his husband passed

They spend the evening laughing and telling stories of the past. Taemin’s smile split his cheeks despite his glassy eyes. Dinner leaves them full while conversation leaves them satisfied and nostalgic.

“Let’s move down to the lobby, shall we?” Taemin says after the bill’s been paid. Everyone wanders out of the restaurant at their own pace, but Taemin holds Baekhyun back with a hand on his elbow. Baekhyun waits patiently as Taemin watches the other leave before he speaks up.

“Don’t let this one go, okay?” Taemin says. He tilts his head to grin softly up at Baekhyun, whose heart clenches. “You never know when it’s too late, and connections like these happen very rarely.”

“Yes, Chief,” Baekhyun says.

Taemin nods, satisfied and stands. He walks away wispily, somehow seeming to float despite his clunky heels. Baekhyun steels himself, pinching the tops of his cheeks, before marching to the host stand.

Chanyeol isn’t there.

Disappointment washes over Baekhyun in waves, and he doubts he’ll ever have such courage again. Empowered by the love story of his boss and his husband, Baekhyun pulls a business card from his wallet and writes on the back, ‘If you really think I’m cute, will you call me?’ He hands it to the woman now at the podium.

“Hey, can you give this to Chanyeol? He was here a few hours ago,” he asks the woman. She smiles at him and swishes her long black hair over her shoulder.

“Of course,” she says with a wink.

With one last fruitless glance around the restaurant, Baekhyun heads down to the lobby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quick updates are because I have the chapters up to July already written. Once I catch up to myself, the updates might come out a lot slower just so you know.
> 
> xoxo


	3. June

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I have to mention Seventeen in literally every EXO fanfiction I write. I just love them.

It’s been two whole weeks and Chanyeol hasn’t called. It’s getting hotter and they’re already closing in on the finishing touches to this month’s issue. There are only a handful of articles to proof and interviews left to conduct. All the photoshoots are done, and while two models had shown up on the wrong sets and no one corrected them, Baekhyun’s rearranged the spread so the girls won’t have to re-shoot with their original concepts.

Baekhyun’s in his office, trying to bask in the noises of people working and articles being written, but he can’t seem to fall into the sensations like usual.

“Knock, knock,” Taemin says, without actually knocking. He’s dressed down compared to the nights at La Vigilia in a seemingly inexpensive black graphic t-shirt, jeans, and a blazer patterned with stars that in total probably costs more than Baekhyun’s last paycheck.

“Oh, hi, Chief,” Baekhyun says, sitting up straighter. “If you’re here about the mix-up with Sooyun and Lacey’s photoshoots, don’t worry about it. Jongdae and I stayed late to make sure the concepts and articles were edited enough to match. No one will notice.”

“Wonderful, but I’m not here about that at all,” Taemin says, eyes gleaming with mirth.

“Are you here about this month’s fashion designer behind-the-scenes interview? Because I haven’t heard back from anyone yet,” Baekhyun says. “Kim Mingyu's been requested most since his designs hit the runway a year ago, but he’s hard to track down. If I can’t reach him through my contact, I believe Taeyong would be willing to give us a look into his current projects again.”

Taemin chuckles and rests against the edge of Baekhyun’s desk. “No, nothing about work. I want to know about that man, the restaurant host.”

“He’s actually the repairman, I think. I first ran into him when he was fixing a light,” Baekhyun says. Then he sighs and slumps over like he’d been before his boss walked in. “I left him my number, but I don’t think he’s interested.”

“Have you reached out to him?” Taemin asks.

“No, I don’t have his number. He wasn’t at the podium when we left so I wrote my number down and gave it to the girl there. She said he’d give it to him, so either she didn’t or he isn’t interested. He called me cute, but then told me he wasn’t flirting so I guess he really _wasn’t_ flirting,” Baekhyun says in one breath. He takes another. “I haven’t said anything about Chanyeol around Jongdae because I don’t want to sound annoying or obsessed. Romance, dating, and flirting, in general, have never been my strong suits. That’s why I never talked to Chanyeol more than a handful of times back in college.”

Baekhyun doesn’t have time to think twice about telling his boss about his failure of a love life before a hand rests softly in his hair. It smushes the carefully tousled look Baekhyun spent too long achieving this morning, and he snaps his mouth shut. His ears and face feel like they’re on fire as he looks up at his boss. But Taemin doesn’t look annoyed. He looks _fond_.

“What was Jongdae saying about a soulmate connection?” Taemin asks.

Baekhyun flushes and laughs awkwardly. _That’s_ something he definitely doesn’t want to tell his boss. He knows better than that. The way Chanyeol makes him feel, just with brief eye contact and even briefer conversation, is something he never felt before college and hasn’t felt since. Baekhyun doesn’t know how to describe it in a way that doesn’t sound dramatic or delusional. So, he’s learned to keep it to himself – or to a few choice friends who make fun of him in a supportive way.

“Oh, nothing,” he says. “It was just some dumb college kid stuff.”

“Did he feel like home?”

“I’m sorry?” Baekhyun says tightly. His heart leans forward like it’s trying to escape and tell Taemin everything. 

“Did he feel like home?” Taemin asks again. “Like you looked into his face and for the first time you could imagine building a life with someone. You didn’t have to know his name or his favorite food or anything else about him to know you _could_ love him. If given the chance.”

Baekhyun gaped. His glasses, which were balanced precariously on the tip of his nose, fall off and land on his desk with a clatter. Good thing they aren’t prescription. He scrambles to pick them up and shoves them into his hair. Taemin watches him fumble with that same fond smile like he hasn’t just put into words something Baekhyun’s been trying to do for seven years.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says, shyly. It’s a weird feeling. He’s never shy. “I guess you could say that.”

Taemin chuckles, it’s a sweet rumble of noise that fills Baekhyun’s office and trickles out to the other editors’ desks. “It took me a while to figure out what it felt like myself, but seeing your face when you talk about this man made me think you might’ve experienced the same thing,” he says. “That’s how I felt when I met my husband. I mean, the second time. I think we were too young the first time to recognize a feeling like that for what it was.”

“So, your husband felt your soulmate connection too?” Baekhyun asks. He sounds way too excited and cringes. “It sounds silly when I call it that, but that’s what it is. To me. I guess.”

“I think that’s a beautiful thing to call it,” Taemin says, but then he shakes his head. “He wasn’t the most observant. Especially in love.”

“Are you saying that because it’s true or because you want to give me hope?” Baekhyun asks.

“Maybe a little bit of both,” Taemin says and winks.

“Chief!”

Taemin laughs again, bending over at the middle. The sparkles on his blazer catch the sunlight from Baekhyun’s windows.

“I know it may seem hopeless to you, but I have a good feeling about this one,” Taemin says. “Give it some time. My mother always said that big ears represent a big heart, though don’t ask me why.” He ruffles Baekhyun’s hair. He’s clearly messing up the style on purpose.

“What do I do if nothing happens?” Baekhyun asks. It should feel awkward, asking his boss for romance advice, but Taemin’s never been a normal boss.

“What do you do if something does?” Taemin returns. “Worrying about the negatives brings them to life. Just relax and let love happen if it so chooses. Either way, just be glad you tried.”

It’s basic advice, bland almost, but the glimmer in his eye says something deeper. Baekhyun’s shoulders relax and the sounds of the office filter in past the noise in his head. Jongdae’s whining amongst keyboards clacking and Jongin’s soft attempts to placate him is like music to his ears.

“You’re right,” Baekhyun says, and he means it. “Thank you, Chief.”

Taemin smiles and his blazer sparkles in the sun as he spins around to leave. “Oh, and don’t worry about trying to reach Kim Mingyu. I’m a friend of a friend of a friend, and I bet Jimin will convince him to call you.”

“Oh, thank you, Chief!” Baekhyun rushes to bow as Taemin leaves. His boss’ chuckles echoing all the way across the office floor.

Work closes in on Baekhyun now that the Editor-in-Chief has left his office but in a good way. He sends an email to Taeyong asking him if he could be featured in next month’s issue instead. If Taemin says Kim Mingyu will work with them, then Baekhyun has no doubt he will.

The neat stack of his business cards sitting in their glass holder catches his attention before he can refocus on the article he’s reworking. He can’t help but wonder if Chanyeol got the one he left.

“No, Baek, _For You_ has a monthly deadline. Romance doesn’t,” he whispers to himself. And like that Chanyeol parks himself in the back of Baekhyun’s mind.

“Meeting Kim Mingyu was _magical_ ,” Baekhyun says to his coworkers. “He has one of the quirkiest minds I’ve seen in a designer recently and it’s refreshing. So, yeah, the interview went really well, obviously.”

They’re carpooling to La Vigilia once again, another issue on its way to printing and distribution. Besides Taemin, Baekhyun’s the only one to have met the young up-and-coming designer and the others have been hounding him for information. Jongdae’s the only one who seems totally uninterested.

“His grandmother taught him to sew at a young age and he’s been styling for his friends for ages till they convinced him to do it professionally. You should’ve seen it – his entire team is made up of friends he’s had for a decade. Some of them even model for him. They’re a crazy mix of people too, one of the models is an actor, a famous choreographer, dancer, and comedian were on set, and an award-winning producer was _styling_ _hair_ for fuck's sake. Plus, Mingyu takes all of his own photos and he's one of the most talented son of a bitch I’ve ever seen work,” Baekhyun says, sounding like a teenager gushing about a boyband. "Oh my _god_ , and the Chinese designer Xu Minghao was there and I almost died."

“No way, which comedian?” Jongdae asks, suddenly interested.

“Who’s the actor?” Yixing asks a second after.

“Boo Seungkwan,” Baekhyun says to Jongdae who squeals. Kyungsoo plugs his ears. “And Jeon Wonwoo, the one from _Shadow Traveler_ ,” he tells Yixing.

“I love Seungkwan, holy shit. Why didn’t you invite me along?” Jongdae asks. Yixing nodding along rapidly.

“I would’ve invited you all along if I’d known who was going to be there. Chief, you should’ve warned me,” Baekhyun says.

Taemin turns in his seat, his long black scarf falling over the armrest, and sticks his tongue out. “And what fun would that be? Besides I’m not caught up on current comedy or movies – I had no idea those two were so famous.”

“What are you into then, boss?” Jongin asks softly from his spot next to Baekhyun.

“I love the ballet,” Taemin says with a dramatic, wistful sigh. “That’s where I met Jimin, who’s a _beautiful_ dancer, and Kwon Soonyoung has choreographed for him. Soonyoung's one of Mingyu's longtime friends.”

“Can we talk about something besides _For You_?” Kyungsoo asks. He sounds exhausted. “We’re celebrating finishing the issue, but I’m still working on scheduling the new models for next month. I don’t want to risk anyone getting confused like those two did a few weeks ago, and I just want a night off. Please.”

“You’re right. No more magazine or fashion talk for the night-” Baekhyun groans. “-as we’re here to celebrate. Besides Baekhyun’s man might be around and we don’t want him too distracted, do we?” Taemin asks with a devious grin.

“Stop, or I’ll have to have more than a martini tonight,” Baekhyun says.

“That’s a great idea,” Yixing speaks up, dimple showing. “Let’s have dinner then spend some time at the bar. It _is_ Friday night, after all, let’s have some fun.”

The car erupts into cheers and Baekhyun can’t help the pit of dread in his stomach despite the smile on his face.

Chanyeol isn’t wandering the hotel halls with a ladder tonight, nor is he at the hostess stand. Baekhyun alternates between holding his breath and letting it out in relief – or disappointment – with each step he takes and corner he rounds. He fidgets once they’re at, what’s becoming, their regular table. His seat is closest to the wall, perfect for keeping an eye on the entire dining area.

“Baek, chill out,” Jongdae says. “You’re acting like someone’s coming to murder you.”

“But Dae-”

“No, shut up,” Jongdae says, forcefully opening Baekhyun’s menu. “Order your food, laugh at my jokes, and worry about Chanyeol _if_ you see him. Not before.”

The table laughs at the two. Taemin is giggling behind his hand, eyes in crescents, but sobers as soon as Baekhyun pouts at him. Yixing keeps trying to steer the conversation back to Kim Mingyu and his mismatched fashion assistants. Kyungsoo cuts him off each time.

“Is your boyfriend ever going to join us for dinner again?” Jongin asks Jongdae. He’s dressed in a full black-and-white tuxedo and brogues. He’s combed the sides of his hair back, letting the top black strands hang freely. It creates a very sexy James Bond look that Baekhyun adores. Clearly, Kyungsoo does too, since he hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of Jongin all night.

“Well,” Jongdae says, dragging out the word. “He should be joining us for drinks once his shift ends tonight.”

The table cheers. Everyone really likes Minseok. Baekhyun likes him so much that he’s willingly third-wheeled with the couple, which is something he normally avoids religiously. Jongdae flushes with happiness and plays with the sleeve of his sweater.

He’s not quite capable enough to pick his own outfits for La Vigilia yet. Baekhyun had to stop him from wearing weird socks _again_ , but he’s learning. He picked out the tan, thick stitched, mock-neck sweater himself, but Baekhyun had to intervene when he tried to pair it with khakis. _Khakis._ Baekhyun threw the offending pants out of Jongdae’s fifth-story bedroom window and replaced them with black trousers. With a neat tuck and proper shoes, tonight Jongdae actually looks like he works for a fashion magazine.

“I’m curious if Minseok has ever thought of modeling,” Taemin says. The whole table stills and turns to look at him. “Don’t look at me like that. He’s short, but with that face, I think he could be wonderful. I bet he has a great body too, being the head of security and all.”

Jongdae flushes darker. Nothing coming out of his mouth but a squeak. Baekhyun swears to walk in on Minseok changing the next time he’s at their apartment. He probably has abs. Well, Jongdae looks like he’s about to pass out so Minseok _definitely_ has abs. A devious smile curls Baekhyun’s lips and he leans forward, chin resting in his palm.

“Why that hunk is dating a nasty boy like you I’ll never understand,” Baekhyun says with a voice filled with innocence and wonder.

“I will _kill_ you,” Jongdae says.

Kyungsoo laughs obnoxiously at that, a deep melody that floats and dissolves into the buzz of the restaurant.

“I think it’s about time we drink,” Jongdae says, pushing back from the table. His plate of clams licked clean.

“Hell yes,” Baekhyun cheers.

“Go ahead then,” Taemin says. “I’ll pay and catch up.”

With five echoes of “Thank you, Chief,” the group scrambles to the bar. Baekhyun and Jongin both ordered wine with their meals, and had refills, so they’re both a little tipsy already. Baekhyun leans into Jongin, whispering puns into his ear. His friend lets out a variety of laughter, depending on how stupid the pun, but his smile is bright the entire time. Kyungsoo watches them fondly as he leans against the bar, waiting for a bartender to appear. He’s dressed in a dark brown sweater with the green collar of his shirt peeking from underneath and black slacks. Baekhyun thinks he looks like a soft nerd.

“Baekhyun, Jongin, come sit,” Yixing says. There are three empty stools between him and Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun shoves Jongin towards Kyungsoo without a second thought and settles next to Yixing. He wraps his slender hands around Yixing’s elbow, feeling the thick material of his navy peacoat.

“You shouldn’t wear this jacket with such tight pants,” Baekhyun says, eyes shining.

“Oh? Why not?” Yixing asks. Baekhyun can’t tell if he’s humoring him or genuinely curious. He settles on genuinely curious because they all know Baekhyun gives _great_ fashion advice.

“It hides how nice your butt looks,” Baekhyun whispers.

Yixing rolls his eyes but doesn’t shove him away as Jongdae would. Speaking of, Baekhyun hasn’t seen his best friend since they left the table. He’s probably off to find his boyfriend and give him gross lovey-dovey kisses. Baekhyun tries not to think about how much he wants lovey-dovey kisses. Not from Jongdae, obviously, that’s gross. But he wouldn’t mind kisses from a certain someone with fluffy black hair.

“What can I get for you two?” asks a bartender in a very blasé voice.

He’s cute in a bored, sexy way. With a sharp jaw, small eyes, and tousled black hair that shines red under the bar lights. He’s definitely Baekhyun’s type: tall, tasty, and toned. His arms strain against his crisp white button-up, and Baekhyun will bet that his legs do the same in his black slacks.

“An old-fashioned for me and a whiskey sour for him,” Yixing orders.

The bartender nods face blank and turns to make their drinks. Baekhyun's eyes land on the man’s _very_ nice butt, but then his view is blocked by grey. Buzzed-Baekhyun’s about to complain before the grey wall speaks.

“Hey, you’re back.”

“Oh gosh,” Baekhyun whispers.

He peers up through his bangs and – yep – it’s Chanyeol. He’s in an oversized grey hoodie with the sleeves pushed up to show yummy tattoos on his forearms that weren’t there in college, and that makes him look underdressed compared to his bartender friend. His hair is fluffier than usual, some curls plastered to the side of his face with sweat, and he looks _gorgeous_. A dimple sits in his right cheek and there is no way that hostess gave him Baekhyun’s number. Chanyeol couldn’t stand there in front of him with a smile like that after not calling him. But he figures it’s best to avoid that topic while he’s drinking.

“Uh, hi,” Baekhyun says. “You’re a bartender tonight?”

Chanyeol laughs, and Baekhyun’s heart soars. “Yeah, they’re understaffed so I’m helping out.”

“Chatting up customers isn’t helping, Yeol,” the hot bartender says.

He places Baekhyun and Yixing’s drinks in front of them. Yixing quietly excuses himself as soon as it’s in his hands and abandons him like Jongdae did last month. Baekhyun really needs to find new friends. Friends that will stay with him and make sure he doesn’t say anything stupid to his crush. Especially when he’s tipsy. Though, he feels like the wine he had with dinner is wearing off. Baekhyun takes a big gulp of his whiskey sour.

“I’m not chatting anyone up,” Chanyeol protests. “Plus, I cleaned up the glass that broke earlier.”

“You broke it.”

“That’s beside the point, Sehun.”

Baekhyun snorts into his drink. He imagines a glass slipping from Chanyeol’s hand and how he might’ve jumped to clean it before anyone realized he broke it, only for this bartender to be watching the whole time. It’s funny. Really funny. Baekhyun snickers madly, palm braced against the bar while he rests his head on the back of the other. Chanyeol’s deep chuckle joins in, nose and eyes scrunching cutely. Baekhyun melts.

“You have a nice laugh,” he says. His heart feels so soft and squishy in the presence of Chanyeol, and it takes a while for his words to register. As soon as they do, however, his face flames. Baekhyun ducks his chin into his white turtleneck and silently wishes for death.

“Thanks,” Chanyeol says.

He’s not embarrassed at all. Like Baekhyun had complimented his tattoos or hoodie or something normal. Baekhyun keeps himself tucked into his shirt, pulling both his sweater and black blazer sleeves over his hands.

“So, am I going to be seeing you every month now?” Chanyeol asks. He doesn’t seem to notice Baekhyun’s own embarrassment and leans forward as the real bartender – Sehun – scoots behind him to help another customer.

“Well, maybe,” Baekhyun says. “My work has monthly dinners and while we usually do it at different places, my boss has decided he likes La Vigilia the best.”

“Oh?” Chanyeol says with a tilt of his head. “Where do you work?”

“Uhm, I’m the senior editor at _For You_. It’s a fashion magazine.”

“No wonder you guys always look so great,” Chanyeol says. He slaps a fist to the palm of his other hand like he’s just uncovered a great mystery. “I guess you have to be fashionable to work at a fashion magazine, right?”

“Right,” Baekhyun says with a laugh. The conversation flows naturally now that the whiskey’s starting to warm his blood again. “But there are still some of us who lack in that department.”

He turns in his barstool and flicks his eyes over the milling bar crowd. Finally, he spots Jongdae huddled by a potted plant, Minseok leaning into him and whispering something in his ear.

“Whoever they are can’t be as bad as me,” Chanyeol says, pulling Baekhyun’s attention back. He gestures to his grey hoodie. “Most of my wardrobe looks like this.”

“At least you’re comfortable,” Baekhyun says.

“You’re not?”

Chanyeol looks Baekhyun up and down or tries to considering Baekhyun’s sitting on a stool on the other side of the bar from him. Baekhyun wipes his sweaty palms on his black pants and settles them around his glass. He usually appreciates being checked out – it’s flattering as long as it doesn’t go too far. Under Chanyeol’s gaze, however, he feels like he needs to find a mirror and double-check that he did a good job on his outfit the evening. He’s wearing a soft, white turtleneck with a black blazer over it since La Vigilia keeps its air-conditioning cranked high during the summer. His earrings are silver with a few tiny chains that dangle and brush his shoulders. The only color he’s wearing are the dark red leather shoes he’s hooked under his stool’s rails, but Chanyeol can’t see those. Baekhyun’s about to duck away and run, then Chanyeol smiles.

It’s soft and sweet, bringing out his dimple again. Baekhyun melts and sticks to the stool. There’s no way he can leave now.

“I’m very comfortable,” Baekhyun says, dreamily. “But there’s been more than a few times where I’ve sacrificed that for style.”

“Why?” Chanyeol asks. He sounds genuinely curious. Baekhyun sips down more of his whiskey sour.

“I love it,” Baekhyun sighs. “Sometimes that’s worth a little discomfort, don’t you think?”

Chanyeol looks to the ceiling and taps his chin. He seems to be thinking hard – or pretending to. His sweet smile spreads into a large grin. “Discomfort for love? I can understand that.”

The way he says it like he’s so sure like he’s experienced it before, is a bullet to Baekhyun’s heart. Chanyeol sounds like he’s talking about something beyond material passions and Baekhyun doesn’t like that. He doesn’t want to imagine Chanyeol loving _anyone_ that’s not him, and isn’t that sad? A sour taste settles on his tongue, and it’s not from the lemon juice in his drink. It’s from his heart. His lonely, romance-starved heart wants this beautiful man, even if that means selfishly keeping him from whatever he seems to love so much.

“Can you?” Baekhyun asks tightly. He clears his throat and finishes his drink. Chanyeol grabs his glass and turns to make him another.

“Well, not in terms of romance.” Baekhyun’s heart soars. He grabs it and forces it back into his chest before it can get too far. Chanyeol’s still, to his knowledge, straight. “But I’ve definitely been in a lot of uncomfortable positions to keep this place running smoothly.”

He turns back and hands Baekhyun a new whiskey sour. He sips it and it tastes just as good as the one Sehun made, if not better. Baekhyun tucks his hands into his sleeves again, only the tips of his fingers visible.

“You love La Vigilia, then?” Baekhyun asks.

“I think so.”

“What do you do here? Besides fixing lights, hosting, and bartending, that is.”

Chanyeol laughs. It’s clear and pure. Baekhyun’s crops feel watered.

“I do a little bit of everything,” Chanyeol says with a snort. “Consider me an odd handyman. I fix what needs to be fixed and help out wherever there needs help.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, without me this hotel would fall apart,” Chanyeol says proudly, puffing out his chest exaggeratedly. Baekhyun snorts.

“How humble,” he says. “How long have you worked here?”

“Practically all my life,” Chanyeol says. He wraps the strings of his hoodie around his fingers absentmindedly. “I took a break during college, but I missed it too much. My life’s here in La Vigilia’s walls. I’ve been to a few of the other hotels across the country and even abroad, but none of them are like Seoul’s.”

The way Chanyeol talks about the hotel is like how someone would talk about a dear friend or family member. Fondness coats every syllable and his eyes are glazed over with memories. Baekhyun watches him in silence for a few moments, admiring his love for the hotel and thinking how he’d give anything to know the full story.

“Baek, darling, are you ready to go?” Taemin says, winding his arm around Baekhyun’s shoulder. Chanyeol and Baekhyun jump. Taemin doesn’t laugh, but the twitch in his lip tells Baekhyun he wants to. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“Uhm, it’s no problem, Chief,” Baekhyun says. He down the rest of his second whiskey sour and turns to his boss. “Is everyone else ready?”

“Mhm, Jongdae’s going home with Minseok again, but the rest of us are ready to go.”

Taemin looks regal in his white silk button-up, it’s undone low over his chest and Baekhyun can glimpse the edges of a tattoo. There’s a thin black scarf thrown casually over both his shoulders that matches his slacks and loafers. He seems apologetic in the way only Taemin can, with a large smile and upturned eyebrows. Baekhyun looks over his shoulder at Chanyeol who’s focused on cleaning his glass.

“I’ll join you and the others in the lobby,” Baekhyun tells Taemin, not looking at him. Taemin whispers good luck and leaves.

“That your boss?” Chanyeol asks. Baekhyun hums.

“Yeah, he’s cool.”

“So, I was wondering-” Chanyeol speaks at the same time as Baekhyun, “I was hoping-”

They both snap their mouths shut in surprise. Chanyeol breaks the silence with a snort that dissolves into laughter. Baekhyun watches him and tries not to look as lovesick as he feels.

“You go,” Baekhyun says.

“Well, I was wondering if we should, uh,” Chanyeol trails off. He wipes at a spot on the bar with his towel. “Are you going to come back next month?” Chanyeol asks softly.

“I hope so,” Baekhyun says.

Chanyeol takes a deep breath. Baekhyun thinks for a second he’s going to ask him out or maybe ask for his number, but all Chanyeol says is, “Good. See you then.”

Baekhyun leaves the bar in shock. He must’ve said goodbye because Chanyeol’s waving, but he doesn’t wave back. He’s not going to lie and say he’s not disappointed, because he’s really, really disappointed. Chanyeol seemed to want to ask Baekhyun out, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. His coworkers are waiting in the lobby, Jongdae and Minseok are nowhere to be seen, no doubt off being in love, and Baekhyun’s heart aches at the thought that that could’ve been him if tonight had been different.

“Any luck?” Taemin asks. Baekhyun just drops his chin to his chest and walks out to the car.

**Author's Note:**

> I shouldn't be posting so many on-going fics, but I couldn't wait to share this one. Sorry to my readers of Welcome to the Circus of the Stars. I swear I'll get around to updating that next. Probably. 
> 
> If you haven't checked out my other ChanBaek fics, please do so. I have one on-going (https://archiveofourown.org/works/27199213/chapters/66436873) and one completed (https://archiveofourown.org/works/17995274/chapters/42510593).
> 
> Enjoy! Leave me a comment, I always respond! Xoxo


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